PENANG: Two tourists from China died after an uprooted tree crushed the car they were in at a local attraction in Penang on Wednesday (Sep 18).
Local media reported that the two – who are father and daughter – had just finished visiting the Pinang Peranakan Mansion in George Town when the incident occurred at about 2.15pm.
According to Free Malaysia Today (FMT), the woman was seated in the front passenger seat while the man was seated at the back. The car was driven by a local man, who managed to escape before the tree fell.
Penang fire and rescue department spokesman Mohammad Syafiq Noor Azman told FMT that the fatalities were a woman in her 30s and a man in his 50s.
He added that parts of the nearby building were also damaged by the incident.
The Star reported that a video footage of the incident has gone viral.
In it, the woman was seen snapping a photo of the mansion before making her way to the car. It then waited for about 40 seconds before leaving the parking spot as another car was moving into the compound through the single-lane gate.
The footage also showed the tree branches and leaves shaking intensely due to strong winds prior to the incident, The Star reported.
Authorities took about three hours to extricate the bodies of the two victims.
“The rescue was made more complicated by the heavy rain and limited space at the site of the incident,” Bernama quoted Mr Syafiq as saying.
Earlier on Wednesday, mayor of Penang Island City Council Rajendran Anthony had announced plans to cut down 54 trees on the island that were at risk of falling in severe weather.
The operation is set to start next week and expected to be completed by mid-October.
On Sep 17, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said that the storm-lashed state was left with scenes of destruction amid hundreds of fallen trees in over 130 locations since two days earlier.
He had then also urged tourists and residents to be cautious while on the road until the stormy days subside entirely.
